Titanium basket device and plating apparatus

Abstract

This application discloses a titanium basket device and an electroplating apparatus. The electroplating apparatus includes an electroplating tank and a titanium basket device. The titanium basket device provided in this application includes a titanium basket body and a collection assembly. The collection assembly is disposed at one end of the titanium basket body and includes a collection chamber, a movable support, and an elastic support. The collection chamber communicates with the titanium basket body. The movable support is disposed in the collection chamber and is used to support copper balls in the titanium basket body. The movable support is movably connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber and can reciprocate along a first direction parallel to the length direction of the titanium basket body. The elastic support is disposed in the collection chamber and is connected to the movable support. The elastic support is used to push the movable support closer to the titanium basket body along the first direction. The collection chamber is provided with a negative pressure interface for connecting a negative pressure pipe and enabling the discharge of anode mud by negative pressure suction. This application can be widely used in the field of electroplating technology.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electroplating technology, and in particular to a titanium basket device and electroplating equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the electronics industry, the demand for FPCs in electronic products is increasing, and the requirements are becoming more stringent. Electroplating is a crucial step in the FPC manufacturing process. Electroplating equipment is expensive and requires a large amount of space, so FPC plants typically have a limited number of electroplating machines. Furthermore, the electroplating process takes a considerable amount of time. Therefore, the production efficiency and product quality of the electroplating equipment are critical to the output of the electroplating process. Copper balls, as the electroplating anode, are the main consumable material in the electroplating process.

[0003] Copper balls are typically placed in an anode titanium basket and connected to the power supply anode via hooks. During electroplating, the copper balls dissolve; the main reaction is the formation of copper ions that dissolve in the electroplating tank, while a side reaction produces black copper-phosphorus compounds known as anode sludge. Anode sludge has the following adverse effects: 1. Anode sludge diffuses into the copper plating solution, contaminating the solution and affecting the product's appearance; 2. Excessive anode sludge adhering to the copper balls affects conductivity, causing uneven product thickness, which can lead to residual copper defects during etching and air bubbles during lamination, resulting in scrap.

[0004] Given the hazards of anode sludge, the production line regularly cleans it. The conventional method involves manually removing the titanium baskets containing copper balls, unloading the anode bags, emptying the copper balls, and then rinsing. This method has the following problems: First, it requires a significant amount of manpower and time (conventional electroplating equipment uses hundreds of titanium baskets), affecting equipment output and increasing labor costs; second, the time required to clean the anode sludge is immeasurable. If the frequency of cleaning is too high, it affects product output; if the frequency is too low, it leads to poor product quality.

[0005] On the other hand, conventional titanium baskets have limited capacity. If the number of copper balls is to be increased, the size of the titanium basket must be increased, which will undoubtedly occupy the space of the electroplating tank and affect the electroplating effect of the product. Utility Model Content

[0006] To solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides a titanium basket device and an electroplating equipment, and the technical solution adopted is as follows.

[0007] The electroplating equipment provided in this application includes an electroplating tank and a titanium basket device.

[0008] The titanium basket device provided in this application includes a titanium basket body and a collection assembly. The collection assembly is disposed at one end of the titanium basket body and includes a collection chamber, a movable support, and an elastic support. The collection chamber communicates with the titanium basket body. The movable support is disposed in the collection chamber and is used to support copper balls in the titanium basket body. The movable support is movably connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber and can reciprocate along a first direction parallel to the length direction of the titanium basket body. The elastic support is disposed in the collection chamber and is connected to the movable support. The elastic support is used to push the movable support closer to the titanium basket body along the first direction. The collection chamber is provided with a negative pressure interface, which is used to connect to a negative pressure pipe and can discharge anode mud by negative pressure suction.

[0009] In some embodiments of this application, the inner wall of the collection chamber is provided with a first limiting structure, which is used to abut against the movable support and limit the position of the movable support when it approaches the titanium basket body in a first direction.

[0010] In some embodiments of this application, the first limiting structure includes a partition, a first end of the partition near the titanium basket body is connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber, the partition extends along a first direction, the partition and the inner wall of the collection chamber are spaced apart and form a first guide groove, the movable support is movably connected to the first guide groove, and a second end of the partition away from the titanium basket body is used to abut against the movable support.

[0011] In some embodiments of this application, the movable support includes a support body and a sliding part. A first end of the sliding part away from the titanium basket body is connected to a side wall of the support body parallel to a first direction. The sliding part and the side wall of the support body parallel to the first direction are spaced apart and form a second guide groove. A second end of the sliding part away from the titanium basket body is movably inserted into the first guide groove. The second end of the partition is inserted into the second guide groove.

[0012] In some embodiments of this application, the inner wall of the collection chamber is provided with a second limiting structure, which is used to abut against the movable support and limit the position of the movable support away from the titanium basket body in a first direction.

[0013] In some embodiments of this application, the second limiting structure protrudes from the inner wall of the collection chamber.

[0014] In some embodiments of this application, the movable support is provided with an inclined guide surface on the side facing the titanium basket body, the guide surface being inclined from the inner wall of the collection chamber toward the side of the movable support facing the titanium basket body.

[0015] In some embodiments of this application, the collection chamber includes a first chamber and a second chamber, the first chamber being connected to the titanium basket body, and the second chamber being detachably connected to one end of the first chamber away from the titanium basket body.

[0016] In some embodiments of this application, the elastic support is disposed in the second chamber, the elastic support has compressive elastic potential energy, and the elastic support includes a compression spring or a pneumatic spring.

[0017] This application has at least the following beneficial effects: When copper balls are loaded into the titanium basket device, the copper balls press down on the moving support, which gradually moves downward, increasing the copper ball capacity of the titanium basket body. As electroplating proceeds, the anode sludge produced by electroplating falls into the collection chamber, and the anode sludge is quickly discharged from the negative pressure interface of the collection chamber using a negative pressure pipe. Furthermore, as the mass of the copper balls gradually decreases, the moving support moves upward under the action of the elastic support, thereby increasing the volume of the collection chamber, which is beneficial for collecting the anode sludge. This application can be widely applied in the field of electroplating technology.

[0018] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0019] The present application will be further illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that the embodiments illustrated in the following drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as limiting the present application.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a titanium basket device installed in an electroplating tank, with the X-axis direction being the first direction.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the titanium basket device.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of the movable support component.

[0023] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the first chamber.

[0024] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the second chamber, showing the elastic support installed in the second chamber.

[0025] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram showing the change in height of the copper ball in the titanium basket apparatus from H1 to H2 during the electroplating reaction.

[0026] Reference numerals: 1100, Titanium basket body; 1200, Negative pressure pipe; 2000, Collection assembly; 2100, Negative pressure interface; 2200, Moving support; 2201, Limiting sleeve; 2202, Support body; 2203, Sliding part; 2204, Second guide groove; 2205, Guide surface; 2300, Elastic support; 2401, Partition; 2402, First guide groove; 2500, Second limiting structure; 2601, First chamber; 2602, Second chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The following is combined with Figures 1 to 6 The embodiments of this application are described in detail below, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application.

[0028] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center", "middle", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0029] In the description of this application, "several" means one or more, "multiple" means two or more, "greater than," "less than," and "exceeding" are understood to exclude the stated number, while "above," "below," and "within" are understood to include the stated number. The use of "first" and "second" in the description is merely for distinguishing technical features and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features, or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0030] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0031] In the description of this application, the use of terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "an example," "some instances," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," and "some examples" indicates that the specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0032] This application relates to an electroplating apparatus, which includes an electroplating tank and a titanium basket device. The titanium basket device is disposed in the electroplating tank, and the copper balls required for electroplating are placed in the titanium basket device.

[0033] Other components and operations of the electroplating equipment are already described in the relevant art for those skilled in the art, and will not be described in detail here. The structure of the titanium basket device will be introduced below.

[0034] This application relates to a titanium basket device, which includes a titanium basket body 1100 and a collection assembly 2000. The titanium basket body 1100 has a chamber for placing copper balls, and the collection assembly 2000 is disposed at one end of the titanium basket body 1100. Specifically, the top of the titanium basket body 1100 serves as an inlet for placing the copper balls, and the bottom of the titanium basket body 1100 is connected to the collection assembly 2000.

[0035] The collection assembly 2000 includes a collection chamber detachably connected to the end of the titanium basket body 1100. The collection chamber communicates with the titanium basket body 1100, and the anode sludge generated by the copper balls during electroplating falls into the collection chamber. Furthermore, the collection chamber is provided with a negative pressure interface 2100, located at the bottom of the collection chamber. The negative pressure interface 2100 is used to connect to a negative pressure pipe 1200, which is connected to an external negative pressure device. This allows the negative pressure pipe 1200 to discharge the anode sludge by negative pressure suction, improving the efficiency of anode sludge treatment and ensuring the quality of the electroplated products.

[0036] The collection assembly 2000 includes a movable support 2200 disposed in the collection chamber, which supports copper balls in the titanium basket body 1100. Further, the movable support 2200 is movably connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber. With the length direction of the titanium basket body 1100 as a first direction, the movable support 2200 can reciprocate along this first direction. Specifically, when copper balls are loaded into the titanium basket body 1100, the copper balls press down on the movable support 2200, causing the movable support 2200 to move downwards along the first direction, thereby increasing the amount of copper balls stored in the titanium basket body 1100.

[0037] Furthermore, the collecting assembly 2000 includes an elastic support 2300, with at least one elastic support 2300 disposed in the collecting chamber. The elastic support 2300 is connected to the movable support 2200 and can support the movable support 2200. During the electroplating process, as the copper balls are gradually consumed, the weight borne by the movable support 2200 gradually decreases. The elastic support 2300 is used to push the movable support 2200 closer to the titanium basket body 1100 along a first direction, so that the movable support 2200 moves upward.

[0038] Understandably, the elastic support 2300 possesses compressive elastic potential energy. The upper end of the elastic support 2300 abuts against the lower side of the movable support 2200, and the lower end of the elastic support 2300 is positioned within the collection chamber. When the movable support 2200 moves downward, the elastic support 2300 is compressed and generates compressive elastic potential energy. When the mass of the copper ball decreases, the movable support 2200 can move upward under the elastic force of the elastic support 2300.

[0039] In some examples, the elastic support 2300 includes a compression spring. Further, the movable support 2200 is provided with a limiting sleeve 2201 on the side facing the elastic support 2300, and the upper end of the elastic support 2300 is inserted into the limiting sleeve 2201 so that the elastic support 2300 stably supports the movable support 2200.

[0040] It should be noted that the elastic support 2300 can also be designed as a pneumatic spring.

[0041] In some embodiments, a first limiting structure is provided on the inner wall of the collection chamber. The first limiting structure is located on the inner wall of the collection chamber near the titanium basket body 1100 along a first direction. The first limiting structure is used to abut against the movable support 2200 and limit the position of the movable support 2200 when it approaches the titanium basket body 1100 along the first direction.

[0042] Specifically, the first limiting structure is disposed at the upper end of the inner side wall of the collection chamber. The first limiting structure can apply downward resistance to the movable support 2200 so as to stop the movable support 2200 from moving upward.

[0043] In some examples, the first limiting structure includes a partition 2401 extending along a first direction. A first end of the partition 2401 near the titanium basket body 1100 is connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber, and a second end of the partition 2401 away from the titanium basket body 1100 abuts against the movable support member 2200. Specifically, the upper end of the partition 2401 is connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber via a first connecting portion, and the lower end of the partition 2401 abuts against the movable support member 2200.

[0044] Furthermore, the partition 2401 is spaced apart from the inner wall of the collection chamber, and a first guide groove 2402 is formed between the inner wall of the collection chamber and the partition 2401. The lower end of the first guide groove 2402 is open, and the movable support member 2200 is movably connected to the first guide groove 2402. On the one hand, the first guide groove 2402 provides guidance for the movable support member 2200 to move up and down in a first direction. On the other hand, the partition 2401 can prevent the copper ball from entering the first guide groove 2402, thus avoiding the copper ball from hindering the up and down movement of the movable support member 2200.

[0045] In some embodiments, the movable support 2200 includes a support body 2202 and a sliding part 2203. The support body 2202 is used to support the copper balls in the titanium basket body 1100. The sliding part 2203 is connected to the support body 2202 and extends along a first direction. The sliding part 2203 is movably inserted into the first guide groove 2402. The movable support 2200 achieves smooth up and down movement through the cooperation of the sliding part 2203 and the first guide groove 2402.

[0046] Specifically, the first end of the sliding part 2203, away from the titanium basket body 1100, is connected to a side wall of the support body 2202 parallel to the first direction. The sliding part 2203 and the side wall of the support body 2202 are spaced apart. A second guide groove 2204 is formed between the side wall of the support body 2202 and the sliding part 2203. The upper end of the second guide groove 2204 is open. The second end of the sliding part 2203, away from the titanium basket body 1100, is movably inserted into the first guide groove 2402. The second end of the partition 2401 is inserted into the second guide groove 2204. The movable support 2200 and the collection chamber are nested together by the partition 2401, the first guide groove 2402, the sliding part 2203, and the second guide groove 2204.

[0047] Understandably, the lower end of the sliding part 2203 is connected to the support body 2202 via the second connecting part, the upper end of the sliding part 2203 is movably inserted into the first guide groove 2402, and the lower end of the partition 2401 is inserted into the second guide groove 2204. When the movable support 2200 moves upward along the first direction, the second end (i.e., the upper end) of the sliding part 2203 abuts against the first connecting part and / or the second end (i.e., the lower end) of the partition 2401 abuts against the second connecting part, thereby achieving the blocking of the movable support 2200 by the first limiting structure.

[0048] In some examples, the collection chamber is configured as a cylindrical chamber, and correspondingly, the outer periphery of the movable support 2200 is formed as a circle. In this case, both the partition 2401 and the sliding part 2203 are formed as annular plates, and both the first guide groove 2402 and the second guide groove 2204 are formed as annular grooves.

[0049] In some embodiments, a second limiting structure 2500 is provided on the inner wall of the collection chamber. The second limiting structure 2500 is located on the inner wall of the collection chamber at a position away from the titanium basket body 1100 along a first direction. The second limiting structure 2500 is used to abut against the movable support member 2200 and limit the position of the movable support member 2200 away from the titanium basket body 1100 along the first direction.

[0050] Specifically, the second limiting structure 2500 is further away from the titanium basket body 1100 than the first limiting structure, and the second limiting structure 2500 is located below the first limiting structure. The second limiting structure 2500 can apply upward resistance to the movable support 2200, so as to stop the movable support 2200 from moving downward.

[0051] In some examples, the second limiting structure 2500 protrudes from the inner wall of the collection chamber, and the upper side of the second limiting structure 2500 is used to abut against the movable support 2200. Specifically, the upper side of the second limiting structure 2500 can abut against the lower end of the sliding part 2203.

[0052] It should be noted that when the collection chamber is set as a cylindrical chamber, the second limiting structure 2500 is set as an annular baffle on the inner wall of the collection chamber.

[0053] In some embodiments, the collection chamber includes a first chamber 2601 and a second chamber 2602. The first chamber 2601 is connected to the titanium basket body 1100, and the second chamber 2602 is connected to the end of the first chamber 2601 away from the titanium basket body 1100. A first limiting structure is disposed on the inner wall of the first chamber 2601, and a second limiting structure 2500 is disposed on the inner wall of either the first chamber 2601 or the second chamber 2602.

[0054] Furthermore, the second chamber 2602 is detachably connected to the first chamber 2601. Specifically, a flange is provided at the lower end of the first chamber 2601, and a flange is provided at the upper end of the second chamber 2602. The detachable connection between the first chamber 2601 and the second chamber 2602 is achieved by bolts passing through the flanges.

[0055] Of course, the detachable connection between the first chamber 2601 and the second chamber 2602 can also be equivalently replaced by a threaded connection.

[0056] In some examples, the elastic support 2300 is disposed in the second chamber 2602, and the elastic support 2300 can be easily replaced by disassembling the first chamber 2601 and the second chamber 2602. Furthermore, the lower end of the elastic support 2300 is fixedly disposed at the bottom of the second chamber 2602.

[0057] In some examples, the first chamber 2601 is detachably connected to the titanium basket body 1100. Specifically, the upper end of the first chamber 2601 is provided with an internal thread, and the lower end of the titanium basket body 1100 is provided with an external thread, so that the first chamber 2601 and the titanium basket body 1100 are detachably connected by a threaded connection.

[0058] Of course, the detachable connection between the first chamber 2601 and the titanium basket body 1100 can also be equivalently replaced by a flange and bolt connection.

[0059] In some embodiments, the movable support 2200 has an inclined guide surface 2205 on the side facing the titanium basket body 1100, and the guide surface 2205 is inclined from the inner wall of the collection chamber toward the side of the movable support 2200 facing the titanium basket body 1100.

[0060] Specifically, the guide surface 2205 is disposed on the upper surface of the movable support 2200, and the guide surface 2205 is arranged close to the edge of the movable support 2200. The guide surface 2205 is formed as a chamfered surface at the angle formed by the inner wall of the collection chamber and the upper surface of the movable support 2200, thereby preventing anode mud from accumulating at this angle. Under the inclined guidance of the guide surface 2205, the anode mud slides along the guide surface 2205 to the middle of the upper surface of the movable support 2200.

[0061] It is understandable that when the collection chamber is set as a cylindrical chamber, the guide surface 2205 is formed as an annular conical surface with a larger upper part and a smaller lower part along the circumference.

[0062] It should be noted that the movable support 2200 is configured as a grid so that the anode mud can fall from the movable support 2200 into the collection chamber.

[0063] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 6The following detailed description of the implementation process of this application should be noted as illustrative only and not as a specific limitation of this application.

[0064] Initially, copper balls are placed into the titanium basket device, and the copper balls press down on the moving support. After several copper balls are loaded into the titanium basket device, the total height of the copper balls is H1, which is roughly level with the liquid surface of the electroplating tank.

[0065] As electroplating proceeds, the copper balls are gradually consumed, and their volume and mass decrease. The elastic support gradually lifts the movable support, and the total height of the copper balls in the titanium basket device remains approximately H1.

[0066] When the elastic support pushes the movable support to the position blocked by the first limiting structure, the movable support stops rising. As electroplating proceeds, the volume of the copper ball decreases, and the total height of the copper ball in the titanium basket device decreases. When the total height of the copper ball decreases to the set height H2, the negative pressure equipment is activated automatically or manually to perform negative pressure suction of the anode mud. This allows for timely cleaning of the anode mud.

[0067] The embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of this application. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

Claims

1. A titanium basket device, characterized in that: The system includes a titanium basket body and a collection assembly, wherein the collection assembly is disposed at one end of the titanium basket body, and the collection assembly includes... A collection chamber, which communicates with the titanium basket body; A movable support is disposed in the collection chamber and is used to support the copper balls in the titanium basket body. The movable support is movably connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber and can reciprocate along a first direction parallel to the length direction of the titanium basket body. An elastic support member is disposed in the collection chamber and connected to the movable support member. The elastic support member is used to push the movable support member closer to the titanium basket body along a first direction. The collection chamber is equipped with a negative pressure interface, which is used to connect to a negative pressure pipe and can discharge anode mud by negative pressure suction.

2. The titanium basket device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the collection chamber is provided with a first limiting structure, which is used to abut against the movable support and limit the position of the movable support when it approaches the titanium basket body in a first direction.

3. The titanium basket device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first limiting structure includes a partition, the first end of which near the titanium basket body is connected to the inner wall of the collection chamber, the partition extends along a first direction, the partition and the inner wall of the collection chamber are spaced apart to form a first guide groove, the movable support is movably connected to the first guide groove, and the second end of which is away from the titanium basket body is used to abut against the movable support.

4. The titanium basket device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The movable support includes a support body and a sliding part. The first end of the sliding part away from the titanium basket body is connected to a side wall of the support body parallel to a first direction. The sliding part and the side wall of the support body parallel to the first direction are arranged at intervals to form a second guide groove. The second end of the sliding part away from the titanium basket body is movably inserted into the first guide groove. The second end of the partition is inserted into the second guide groove.

5. The titanium basket device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The inner wall of the collection chamber is provided with a second limiting structure, which is used to abut against the movable support and limit the position of the movable support away from the titanium basket body in the first direction.

6. The titanium basket device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second limiting structure protrudes from the inner wall of the collection chamber.

7. The titanium basket device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: An inclined guide surface is provided on the side of the movable support facing the titanium basket body. The guide surface is inclined from the inner wall of the collection chamber toward the side of the movable support facing the titanium basket body.

8. The titanium basket device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The collection chamber includes a first chamber and a second chamber. The first chamber is connected to the titanium basket body, and the second chamber is detachably connected to the end of the first chamber away from the titanium basket body.

9. The titanium basket device according to claim 8, characterized in that: The elastic support is disposed in the second chamber, and the elastic support has compressive elastic potential energy. The elastic support includes a compression spring or a pneumatic spring.

10. An electroplating apparatus, characterized in that: It includes an electroplating bath and a titanium basket apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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